Hi,
Just to get some of the keywords out in the "Googlesphere" is a December 2012 example of the hotel rooms booking overpayment scam to try and protect others... [our contact details have been redacted]. This one targetted at the UK.
Other characteristics that give this scam away early in the process as "suspicious":
- Use of bad grammar, poor English and American English spellings in an email allegedly from Scotland suggests non-native speaker
- use of gmail and yahoo email addresses that seemed very generic
- change of email address used between consecutive emails
- use of an email address for us which was not our primary contact address
cut and paste follows:
From: Kelvin Coleman [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 14 December 2012 05:16
To: [redacted]
Subject: URGENT CONFIRM
hello ,
Thanks for your email and for the total cost for the reservation
which you have provided.i have concluded all payment arrangement.
As soon as you receive my card detail for payment,i want you to
take the following steps:
A) Make an total charge of £4749.60 + bank charges from my card
Detail.
B) Deduct the total deposit of £1749.60 needed to secure book-
C) send the balance of £3000 ia bank transfer to the prepaid
travel agent who will handle our traveling logistics which i will
advice.
The travel agent is in charge of the procurement of flight
tickets of guests to and fro.
However, because agent do not have credit card facility and for
security reason,i have decided that ONLY YOU will have to handle
the credit card information.
PLEASE CONFIRM IF THIS ARRANGEMENT IS OK.
Awaiting your swift response,
Kelvin
--- On Thu, 13/12/12, [redacted]> wrote:
From: [redacted]
Subject: RE: Rooms Booking cost
To: "'Kelvin Coleman'" <[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, 13 December, 2012, 17:12
[we reconfirmed the total pricing]
From: Kelvin Coleman [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 13 December 2012 16:26
To: [redacted]
Subject: RE: Rooms Booking cost
Hello ,
Thanks for email and confirming that you have availability for reservation.I want to have the grand total cost for reservation -
I also want you to confirm if its possible to make advance payment via credit card to properly secure the reservation ...
Awaiting your swift response,
Kelvin
--- On Thu, 13/12/12, [redacted]> wrote:
From: [redacted]
Subject: RE: Rooms Booking
To: "'Kelvin Coleman'" <[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, 13 December, 2012, 8:54
Thank you for your enquiry,
[we provided pricing and availability]
-----Original Message-----
From: Kelvin Coleman [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 13 December 2012 05:05
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Rooms Booking
Hello,
I want to inquire about the rooms reservation for 6 people from
21st to 27th of April, 2013.
The information that I request are as follows:
Arrival date: 21st April
Departure date: 27th April
number of guests: 6
number of rooms :3
Get back to me if you have opening for reservation during my
stated date.
Warm Regards,
Kelvin Coleman
19 St. Vincent Street
Glasgow
G2 5NW
Scotland
+447035928032
Just to get some of the keywords out in the "Googlesphere" is a December 2012 example of the hotel rooms booking overpayment scam to try and protect others... [our contact details have been redacted]. This one targetted at the UK.
Other characteristics that give this scam away early in the process as "suspicious":
- Use of bad grammar, poor English and American English spellings in an email allegedly from Scotland suggests non-native speaker
- use of gmail and yahoo email addresses that seemed very generic
- change of email address used between consecutive emails
- use of an email address for us which was not our primary contact address
cut and paste follows:
From: Kelvin Coleman [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 14 December 2012 05:16
To: [redacted]
Subject: URGENT CONFIRM
hello ,
Thanks for your email and for the total cost for the reservation
which you have provided.i have concluded all payment arrangement.
As soon as you receive my card detail for payment,i want you to
take the following steps:
A) Make an total charge of £4749.60 + bank charges from my card
Detail.
B) Deduct the total deposit of £1749.60 needed to secure book-
C) send the balance of £3000 ia bank transfer to the prepaid
travel agent who will handle our traveling logistics which i will
advice.
The travel agent is in charge of the procurement of flight
tickets of guests to and fro.
However, because agent do not have credit card facility and for
security reason,i have decided that ONLY YOU will have to handle
the credit card information.
PLEASE CONFIRM IF THIS ARRANGEMENT IS OK.
Awaiting your swift response,
Kelvin
--- On Thu, 13/12/12, [redacted]> wrote:
From: [redacted]
Subject: RE: Rooms Booking cost
To: "'Kelvin Coleman'" <[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, 13 December, 2012, 17:12
[we reconfirmed the total pricing]
From: Kelvin Coleman [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 13 December 2012 16:26
To: [redacted]
Subject: RE: Rooms Booking cost
Hello ,
Thanks for email and confirming that you have availability for reservation.I want to have the grand total cost for reservation -
I also want you to confirm if its possible to make advance payment via credit card to properly secure the reservation ...
Awaiting your swift response,
Kelvin
--- On Thu, 13/12/12, [redacted]> wrote:
From: [redacted]
Subject: RE: Rooms Booking
To: "'Kelvin Coleman'" <[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, 13 December, 2012, 8:54
Thank you for your enquiry,
[we provided pricing and availability]
-----Original Message-----
From: Kelvin Coleman [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 13 December 2012 05:05
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Rooms Booking
Hello,
I want to inquire about the rooms reservation for 6 people from
21st to 27th of April, 2013.
The information that I request are as follows:
Arrival date: 21st April
Departure date: 27th April
number of guests: 6
number of rooms :3
Get back to me if you have opening for reservation during my
stated date.
Warm Regards,
Kelvin Coleman
19 St. Vincent Street
Glasgow
G2 5NW
Scotland
+447035928032
